His Name Was Matt
by karly05
Summary: Linda tells the story of her first marriage.  Took me a while to work out my take on this, and even longer to find a way to present it, but here it is.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N – Well, here it is, my take on What Happened to the Father of Phineas and Candace. It took me a while to work out my ideas, and even longer to figure out how to present them. I finally just let Linda tell the story, herself.**

**I split this in two simply due to length. The Flynn-Fletcher Family belongs to Dan Povenmire and Swampy Marsh, as do Linda's parents. Anyone else here is mine. If any of the names belong to real bands or singers, it's completely coincidental.**

His Name Was Matt – Part One

His name was Matt. Matthew James Flynn. We met on the first Lindana Come-Back Tour. He was a roadie – a sound technician. There wasn't an instrument on the bus he couldn't play, guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, cowbell, tambourine… He wasn't good enough at any of them to make a career of it, but I didn't care, I thought he was a Rock Star. He had this gorgeous, feathered auburn hair down to his shoulders, and these blue eyes, and a smile that just lit up the whole room. I was crazy in love with him. Emphasis on the crazy.

He was twenty when we met. Yeah, he was – well, let's just say a _few_ years younger than I was, but you wouldn't have guessed it if you'd known him. He'd been on the road with one tour or another since he was sixteen. His father was never in the picture – Matt didn't even know his name. His mother drank too much, and burned out their apartment with a lit cigarette when he was twelve. He always said rock and roll saved his life – he'd snuck out that night to some club to hear BachDraft play, or he would have died with her. From then on, it was state homes or foster care until the day he talked his way onto a tour bus and never looked back.

Matt and I paired up pretty quickly. For all he'd been through as a kid, he had this amazing optimism. The Lindana Come-Back Tour wasn't exactly packing them in, but he was always convinced that the next stop would be a sell-out. No matter what happened today, tomorrow was always going to be better. I can see that part of him in Phineas and, yes, I'm glad for that. We made it through nineteen cities before the promoters canned the tour. Our last show was in Albuquerque. We already knew this was the end, but Matt wasn't going down without a fight; he got everybody pumped up, and darned if we didn't put on the best show those two hundred and fifty-seven people had ever seen! The next morning, Matt said to me, "Come on, we're going to Vegas!" I honestly thought, _He got us a booking in Vegas?_ But, no, he wasn't talking about the show, he was talking about us. The tour was over, the crew was breaking up, and he wanted us to get married before he 'lost' me. Well, he didn't need to worry about 'losing' me, but we went to Las Vegas, he bought a ring, I bought a dress, and one fake Elvis rendition of "Love Me Tender" and a couple of "I Do"s later, I was Mrs. Matthew Flynn.

We actually stayed in Las Vegas for a while, working with a British Invasion Tribute Show on the Strip. Matt was a stage hand, and I helped out with hair and makeup. The guys in the band really were British. They'd all come to the States with big dreams of being rock stars or movie idols or TV producers and had ended up wearing paisley and mop-tops, performing old '60s songs for tourists. And you know, they were the sweetest bunch of guys you could imagine. Matt and I had this dinky little apartment, and I started cooking, and these guys would come over for meat loaf and tuna casserole and chow mein. They were all older than I was, but I was the Mother Hen, and it really was a little like having a house full of kids. You know, it's sad; that show has been closed for years, and I have no idea where any of them are now.

After about a year in Vegas, Matt was getting bored. His old life-savers, BachDraft, were going out on tour, and he got us a gig with them, him as a sound tech, me working wardrobe. We were on the road with three different bands over two years and I have to admit, it was a lot of fun. Kind of an extended honeymoon, living out of buses and hotel rooms. But I missed having my own kitchen, and I'd always known I wanted kids. Matt was all on board for that; I think he wanted a chance to prove that he could be a good parent, even though he'd never had one of those, himself. When we finished the last tour, I brought him back to Danville. My parents still lived here, and it was nice to have them around, and to put down some roots. Matt never did anything halfway and, if we were going to settle down and raise a family, we were going to have a nice house in the suburbs with plenty of room and a big back yard. He worked as a tech at Danville Arena, and part time at a record store – yes, they still had record stores then – and we bought our dream house. Next thing you knew, we were expecting, and the following summer, Candace was born.

Matt called her Candy Cane. And he turned out to be a great Dad. I've always heard stories about how guys always palm off the messy jobs on their wives, but Matt never shied away from changing diapers and cleaning up accidents. He said he'd mopped up enough puke in his rock tour career, a little spit-up from his daughter was nothing. We were about as happy a little family as could be. But by the time Candace was two, Matt was bored with our static life. He missed the tour circuit.

He actually thought we could all pack up and hit the road; he even thought he could talk some promoter into putting together another attempt at a Lindana Come Back – he always did think Lindana was a bigger deal than she ever really was. But there was no way I was raising my kids out of a tour bus, and Candace was too young to be around that crazy rock concert lifestyle. In the end, we worked out a compromise, and Matt went out for four months on tour with Rex Roxburgh. "Sexy Rexy," they called him; the joke was that he had so much lingerie thrown at him on stage that he bought stock in Victoria's Secret to cash in on it. The party atmosphere around him was so over the top that Matt was actually relieved to be back in Danville when the tour was done. He told me I was right not to take Candace on the road, and if anyone like that ever came sniffing around his daughter, he would rip the guy in half with his bare hands. And this from a man who felt guilty about trapping a mouse.

Matt went back to work in Danville, and we settled in for the winter. But, as spring started warming up, he started getting bored again. My old manager from the Lindana days was promoting a new act, a teen-pop duo billed as Cam and Camille. They were kid-friendly, and the promoters kept a tight lid on them and the crew. Matt signed on for their summer tour, and ended up as one of their back-up guitarists. Best of all, he brought them to our house for Candace's third birthday, and they couldn't have been nicer. They put on a whole little concert in our back yard, and all the neighbors came. Camille did up Candace's hair with glitter and everything – oh, she was a mess! – and Cam taught her some of his dance moves, and they had her get up on stage with them. I don't think I've ever seen Candace happier than she was that day, and I'm pretty certain that's where she caught the pop star bug.

Candace missed her Dad when he was on the road, and so did I. But I think I knew by then that Matt was never going to be able to really put down roots. He came home in the fall, once Cam and Camille were done touring, and stayed with us through the holidays, but the snow wasn't even melted before he was talking about the next gig. This was the year of the Mega Rock Jamorama Tour, and there was no way he could resist that. I didn't even try to talk him out of it. He left at the end of February for a job that would run nearly all the way to Thanksgiving. He did make it back to Danville in July for Candace's fourth birthday, and in October for our wedding anniversary. Matt swore then that he was ready to give up the road for good; he said he hadn't been fair to me, and he was ready to make it all up to me now. I'm not sure I really believed him, but I was so glad to have him back for even just a few days, I didn't question it. He couldn't stop telling me how much he loved me, and it was the best time we'd had together since Vegas. When the tour ended in November, he came home, and I really thought our future looked solid. The holidays were perfect; Candace got her first little pink bicycle, training wheels and all, and the weather was mild enough that Matt spent hours helping her make ovals in the driveway. January came, and Matt had not said a word about leaving. Then, the Girl turned up.

Her name was Angi – and yes, that's how she spelled it. She was younger than I was, but she wasn't a kid; early twenties, probably, and old enough to know better. I got the feeling that I was more surprised to see her than she was to see me. Of course, she was looking for Matt.

_To be continued…_


	2. Chapter 2

Part Two

Don't make me spell it out. You can guess what they'd been up to. Matt at least had the decency not to deny it, or lie his way out of it. This girl was some sort of groupie who was following one of the bands on the Mega Rock tour. She had some crazy notion that she could be a big star if she could just meet the right people. Well, I could have told her that Matt wasn't 'the right people,' but apparently he was close enough for her. I felt so sick when I found out. Sick and stupid; I should have seen it coming, but I loved him, and thought I could trust him. He sent her packing, he swore to me that it meant nothing, but the damage was done. And, oh, he may not have lied, but he certainly tried to excuse it. It was all her fault, she had come on to him, taken advantage of him; when he tried to break it off, she threatened to tell me, to throw herself under the bus, to generally make his life hell. Then it was my fault; he was lonely on the road, men had needs, if I hadn't insisted on this boring suburban existence, none of this would have happened. At last, he took enough responsibility to start begging me for forgiveness. He loved me, he loved Candace, he didn't want to break up our family, this had never happened before, and oh, he assured me he'd had plenty of other opportunities – as if that was going to make me feel any better about this. I kicked him out of the house; I couldn't even stand to look at him, I was so angry, and hurt. And poor Candace… We both tried to shield her from this, but she knew we were fighting, and I was crying, and her Daddy was gone. I felt so awful for her, but I didn't know how I could even begin to explain.

Matt didn't give up. I thought long and hard about a divorce, I even called a lawyer. But Matt wouldn't give up on me, and Candace was so miserable and confused, I didn't have the heart to keep her from him. Part of me was convinced that our marriage was too broken to fix, but he swore up and down that he would do anything to save it, and I agreed to give him another chance. It was the hardest decision I ever had to make, and, in the end, I did it for one reason. I was pregnant.

Looking back, I'm glad we stayed together. It wasn't easy, but having a baby on the way helped. It gave us something to work toward, and look forward to. I'll be honest, Candace had been a bit of a challenge as a baby, but Phineas was a ray of pure sunshine from the first moment I held him. He didn't look exactly like Matt, but there was a general family resemblance; enough that you knew they were father and son. Like Candace, Phineas was born in the summer. And, like always, when spring came around, Matt started itching again for the road.

Oh, he never brought it up, and when I asked him, he denied it, but we both knew. I had a long, hard fight with myself over it, but I knew that if things were ever going to be really good for us again, I was going to have to let go and trust him. He came up with the plan. It wouldn't be a real tour this time, but Dixie Pepper and Dallas Good were playing a few historic Opry Houses and State Fairgrounds in the midwest. Matt wouldn't be gone more than a couple of weeks at a stretch, and he made a point of reminding me that Dixie and Dallas were a couple of old country and western stars whose biggest appeal was to men who wore cowboy hats to cover their bald spots, and women who shopped at discount clubs and wore "World's Best Grandma" sweatshirts.

It was a Friday night in May. Dixie and Dallas were set to play the Fairgrounds Grandstand a couple of states south of here, and Matt was working as a stagehand. And I had no idea of what was happening until a police officer showed up at my door. He asked if I was Mrs Matthew Flynn, and when I said yes, he told me why he was there. My husband was dead.

It was one of those freak storm cells that just boil up out of nowhere in the spring. They'd been debating whether to call off the concert, and were starting to tear down when the storm hit. The wind took part of the overhang above the stage, and some rigging collapsed. Matt and another crew member were killed, four more men were injured. They told me that Matt never knew what hit him.

Phineas wasn't even a year old. He was upset because he could tell that his sister and I were upset, but he had no way of understanding. Candace – it was so hard to explain, and she refused to accept it at first. Daddy was just away at his job, this was a mistake, he would be home tomorrow. When they did bring him back to Danville – oh, I thought she would never stop crying; she cried so hard she made herself sick, I can't tell you how many times. All I could do was hold her tight and try to be strong for her, and for Phineas. Then, the day of the funeral, she just – shut down. I'd never known her so quiet, it was like she just folded in on herself and closed us all out. When we got home, she just curled up with her Ducky Momo. She wouldn't let go of him, he went everywhere with her. She would press her face into the plush and whisper; she told me that she would give Ducky Momo messages for Daddy, and he would pass them on for her.

What finally saved her – what saved us both – was Phineas. I had to be there for him. No matter how I felt, he had to be fed and loved and cared for. He was the proof that life went on, _had_ to go on. One day, about three weeks after Matt's death, the stress was really getting to me, and Phineas simply wouldn't settle down, and I was so exhausted. I remember I was holding him, and I just started crying, and the next thing I knew, Candace was standing there with her hand on my knee. "I can do it, Mom," she said. "I can hold him." She set Ducky Momo up on the couch, and climbed up next to him, and I put Phineas in her lap. She cradled him in her arms and started cooing and humming to him, and he just stared up at her and smiled, and Candace smiled back, and just look at me, I need a tissue just thinking about this! As much as she would drive me crazy sometimes with all that 'busting' talk, I know she's always adored her brother, and he adores her. Whatever Matt and I went through, he left me Candace and Phineas, and I can't imagine what my life would have been without them – or him. Our marriage was crazy and messy and not always good, but I don't regret it.

There was a lawsuit filed over the stage collapse. I didn't start it, but I became a party to it. I would have thought that the storm counted as an Act of God, but there were some charges involving 'structural integrity' and 'unsafe labor conditions,' and the case ended in a good-sized settlement. Dixie Pepper and Dallas Good gave me a little something, too – I was embarrassed to accept it, but they insisted. They came to Matt's funeral, and were so kind. I'll admit, I was thankful for all the money. It wasn't a fortune, but it was enough to let me keep the house, and set up a college fund for the kids. I still had some of my Lindana money invested, as well, and it was a nice little nest egg. At least we didn't have to worry about paying the bills.

It was almost three years after Matt's death when I went to an estate sale one day with my mother, who was looking to replace some broken china. There was a tall, brown-haired man in glasses, examining an old Victrola, and I seriously did a double take when I saw him. _It couldn't be_, I thought – but I would have known him anywhere. I went up and touched his elbow, and said, "Lawrence Fletcher?" He took one look at me and his jaw dropped and he said, "Great Scott! Linda?"

Lawrence and I had met as students at Danville University. We had just started dating when my Lindana career intervened, and he had to go home to England. We had lost touch almost at once, and I had never expected to see him again, but here he was, back in Danville, and it was like we'd never said goodbye. I told him about Matt, and my kids. He told me he was divorced, and had a little boy called Ferb, not much older than Phineas. It may have seemed like a whirlwind courtship, but it didn't take us long to realize that we were meant to be together. I suppose Lawrence might seem a bit nerdy to some people, but he's the strongest, kindest, smartest, sweetest, funniest man I've ever known. I love him with all my heart, and I would trust him with my life.

We were married that June. Phineas and Ferb took to each other as if they had been born brothers, and Phineas was quick to embrace Lawrence as his new father. Ferb was a quiet little thing, but so sweet and polite, I fell in love with him at once. Candace had a harder time, because she remembered her Daddy, and didn't want to see him replaced. I'll tell you, if I hadn't loved Lawrence so much already, the way he dealt with Candace, with so much patience and gentleness, would have won me over right there. When we talked about marriage, Candace was afraid she would have to change her name, but we both assured her she could still be Candace Flynn if she wanted. Phineas said he hoped his new Dad's feelings wouldn't be hurt, but he wanted to be whatever Candace was. I was glad they kept Flynn; Matt had no other family we knew of, and the children were his legacy. I chose to be Linda Flynn-Fletcher because of the kids, and Lawrence had no objection. Honestly, as long as the rest of us were happy, he was happy.

Of course, before we were married, I told Lawrence about everything I had in the way of money. He was shocked, and bent over backward to convince me that he had had no idea, and to make sure that I understood that he was not marrying me for my 'fortune.' I won't deny that we had some heated pre-marital negotiations over finances, but I wore him down. We started a college fund for Ferb, equal to the ones for Candace and Phineas. And I already knew Lawrence's big dream of owning his own antique shop. All he needed was the capital, and I finally convinced him that, as long as we were going to be partners in marriage, we'd might as well be business partners, too.

Well, I think this is about where you came in, and I'm sure Phineas has told you anything else you didn't already know. You two are lucky to have each other, sweetie, and I know you're going to be just fine together. I'll admit, I didn't expect you to get married quite this young, but I know you've thought this through, and we all trust you. Oh, no, Isabella, don't start hugging me, you'll make me get all teary again. Ugh, I can already promise I'm going to be a dripping mess on Saturday. But you know I can't wait to call you my daughter.

THE END

**A/N – Yeah, I chucked in the little stinger at the end – I wasn't going to, but I needed an ending, so I went with what was in my head as far as to whom Linda was telling the story. No, I'm not writing the Phinabella Wedding, although there may be more references to it down the road. And yes, I know that in "reality" Linda wouldn't just be monologuing, but this was how I wanted to write it. Anyway – there it is.**


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